Cartons and tote containers formed from corrugated cardboard or fiberboard, wood, or plastic are well known. These containers generally have a horizontal rectangular bottom and four upright side walls. The side walls are usually either vertical, to define a substantially rectangular receptacle, or sloped, to form a tapering receptacle.
These tote containers may be formed in any variety of sizes, shapes, and constructions depending upon the particular applications for which they will be utilized, and the environment in which they will be used.
Beyond a simple receptacle for storing or transporting articles, such tote containers often include one or more additional features such as handles or cutout handgrip sections, stacking shoulders for stacking several like containers into a vertical column, removable or pivotable lids, ventilation apertures, liners, partitions, frame or structural reinforcing members, reinforced rims, and the like. The tote containers may also include additional panels other than the bottom, sides, and lid to increase the strength of the tote, provide greater structural integrity or durability, or to facilitate a particular method of assembly.
The requisites to fashioning such a tote container which will provide ever increasing utility and yet remain competitive in the marketplace with existing tote containers require the balancing of several competing factors. Because the tote containers are often mass produced and purchased in large quantities at a slight margin, the costs associated with manufacturing the totes must be kept to a minimum. This means that a minimal quantity of material must be used in forming each container, that the container blanks must be laid out in a pattern to reduce wasted materials, and that a limited number of machines and man-hours of labor be used in making and handling the totes.
The tote containers must provide the maximum in strength and durability for the particular application, sufficient in some instances so the tote containers may withstand repeated use and exposure to harsh treatment or conditions without damage, or be suited for disposable use in other situations.
Of those containers which are used repeatedly for a variety of applications in an assortment of different circumstances, one particularly desirable characteristic is the ability to fold the container into a small package for storage or shipping, and yet quickly and easily assemble the container to present a receptacle with maximal volume for use.
Existing tote containers each may have relative advantages over other comparable types of tote containers, depending upon the specific requirements of the application for which the tote container is best suited. The existing tote containers do present several common drawbacks or deficiencies.
In the majority of containers, the support panel is formed from a single ply of material cut from a unitary blank, folded, and then fastened together at a few points with glue or staples.
In those containers where a tensile fibre or other longitudinal reinforcement is employed to increase the strength or integrity of the container, the fibers or reinforcing materials provide limited support from only two opposing side walls of the container, and do not extend completely under the receptacle portion to support the entire bottom of the container.
The strength of these containers is often further lessened by the manner in which the handgrips are formed, the placement of seams and folds at stress points. The use of notches or projections which create weakened stress-bearing points, or the type of fasteners used.
Many of the existing tote containers are difficult to assemble, and once assembled cannot be disassembled, folded, or broken down for storage or shipping without destroying the container or severely impairing its structural integrity.